I Really Love Rugby!
by whingymcgregor
Summary: Oneshot. Gwen & Rhys head to the pub to watch the rugby and are rather surprised to find Jack & Ianto there too! Turns out they really love rugby! ;D


Fandom: Torchwood

Characters/Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys, Dav and Banana Boat.

Disclaimer:I don't own Torchwood all belongs to RTD and the BBC

Warnings: Spoilers for all Torchwood up to and including Something Borrowed and BBC website material.

Author's Note: Nothing much- just was bored and it came to mind.

Please review. Cheersies :D

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Gwen Cooper arrived home from a long, hard day at Torchwood wanting nothing more than to curl up on the sofa with Rhys and maybe convince him to give her a back rub.

She was therefore surprised and dismayed to find Rhys in a dress shirt and jeans rooting around the kitchen for his keys. If the shirt hadn't given away the fact that he was heading out then the stench of Lynx that filled the room would have.

"Going out love?"

"Oh hiya Gwen." Rhys said distractedly having found his keys and beginning the hunt for his mobile. "Haven't seen my mobile have ya? Only I'm meetin' a few lads down the pub and I was supposed to be there 10 minutes ago."

Gwen picked his phone off the coffee table. "I didn't know you were going out? I thought maybe we could have a quite night in, the two of us."

Rhys took the phone with a smile and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Sorry love, but the rugby's on. Wales V Ireland. Cant miss that can I?"

"Well maybe I'll come with you then?"

Rhys frowned "You're just in from work, aren't you knackered? How about you get a couple of hours sleep and we'll have dinner when I come back."

Gwen smiled at him disbelievingly "You don't fool me Rhys Williams." She laced her arms around the back of his neck. "If Wales win you'll want to stay and celebrate and if they lose you'll want to stay and drown your sorrows. No I'll come with you; I haven't watched the rugby in too long. I'll just go get my shirt on and then we'll go."

With that she gave him a decisive peck on the lips and went off to find her rugby jersey. She was tired but she could get called in later and she'd rather spend time with Rhys now.

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Rhys had managed to pick a pub that, by some miracle, wasn't completely packed. They still had to shove a few other punters out of the way in order to reach Dav and Banana Boat who had got some excellent seats right in front of he giant widescreen that had been set up for the match.

"Rhys!" Banana was shouting at them and waving is arms frantically. Gwen rolled her eyes, Rhys' friends had always been a bit idiotic but she knew they really cared for him so she tolerated their loutishness. She still hadn't forgiven Banana for getting arrested in Lanzarote 2 weeks before the wedding though.

"Ah, the beautiful Gwen, to what do we owe this pleasure?" Dav took her hand and kissed it eloquently. Gwen giggled at is and slapped his arm. "We haven't missed kick off have we?"

"No, they're just going through the teams; we might have a hell of a shot this year." Banana enthused "Brian O Driscoll isn't playing because of his hamstring. Although word is…" He looked around and leaned in conspiratorially "..He actually was jealous that Gavin Henson was given more hair products in the changing rooms, threw a hissy fit."

Gwen laughed and Rhys nodded sagely; "Sounds about right, they spend more time on their hair than you do Gwen, it's a wonder they're able to go into a scrum without having a comb to fix their hair with afterwards."

"So Dav, found yourself a woman to put up with you yet?" Gwen asked. Dav sighed woefully before putting his pint down and looking at Gwen with mournful eyes. "Gwen, my flower, how could I ever love another woman after seeing you beauty? You've spoilt me- I will never love again!"

Rhys snorted and rolled his eyes as he stood. "Right I'm getting a pint. Anyone else want anything? Gwen?"

"Pint, please love." Gwen said with a smile them glanced at the screen; "Better hurry though, they'll be starting soon." Rhys winked at her and went off through the throngs of people to the bar.

The match started soon afterwards and the first half was tense and exciting with neither hand really gaining the upper hand, Ronan O Gara was on fire for Ireland but Wales were giving as good as they got and by half time the two sides were equal.

Rhys had spent the last five minutes of the half crushing Gwen's hand under the table as he grew more and more tense. Now he stood with a long-suffering sigh, "I need a drink after that, everyone else? Same again?" He nodded and disappeared off to the bar. Gwen followed him a minute later realising that he more than likely wouldn't be able to carry four pints by himself.

She walked up behind him at the bar and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. He jumped slightly as his attention was elsewhere, he spun around and smiled at her distractedly before pointing over to the side. "Isn't that those blokes you work with?"

Gwen frowned and looked in the direction he was pointing here were two men sitting at a table leaning in towards each other and by the amount of arm movement involved having a very animated discussion. She looked a bit closer and realised that it was indeed Jack and Ianto but not like she'd ever seen them before. Jack was wearing normal casual clothes, jeans and a blue shirt over a white T-Shirt and a black jacket hung on his chair, his RAF coat was nowhere to be seen.

Ianto was not wearing his customary suit rather he was in a pair of jeans and a rugby jersey and to her surprise a pair of converse trainers. She gaped at them but was unsure about whether to disturb them as they both seemed uncharacteristically relaxed which she was sure would disappear if they knew one of their workmates was there.

Rhys however had no similar concerns. "Jack! Jack! Harkness!"

Gwen cringed as Jack stiffened and swung his head around looking for whoever was calling him. His eyes settled on herself and Rhys and a gigantic grin lit his face, he leant over and said something to Ianto.

Ianto turned in his seat and saw them too he smiled politely at Rhys and waved at Gwen. Gwen waved back and was about to pull Rhys back to their table when he suddenly walked over to them and invited them to watch the match with them. Gwen watched mortified as Ianto shook Rhys' hand and nodded to his invitation. Jack picked up his jacket and drink and motioned for Rhys to proceed them.

Gwen picked up the beers that were sitting on the bar and walked back to the table as quickly as she could and slid into her seat just as Rhys reached them with jack and Ianto in tow. He handed Banana and Dav their beers and turned to say something to Jack that made him laugh.

"Boys, this is Jack and Ianto, they work with Gwen, Special Ops. This is Banana Boat and Dav." Gwen watched as Jack and Ianto both shook hands with the other men before pulling up a seat.

"Nice to see you Gwen it's been a while." Jack said with a grin. "Didn't think you'd want to see our ugly mugs for a while after today." Gwen gave him a weak smile and lent in towards him. "Jack I'm really sorry, I tried to stop him but you know what he's like."

Jack frowned at her. "What do you mean?" She gestured over to where Ianto was talking animatedly to Rhys about the attributes and failings of certain players; "Interrupting you and Ianto. You don't get much time alone.."

Jack smiled at her and laid a comforting hand on her arm; "Don't worry about it Gwen. We like Rhys. Anyway the more the merrier." He managed to make that perfectly innocuous comment seem lecherous by wiggling his eye brows.

"Oi mate I know you don't I?" Banana said peering at Ianto with narrowed eyes. "You're the one who got me out of trouble with the fuzz in Lanzarote."

Ianto inclined his head and toasted Banana with his pint glass, a small smirk on his face. "I've always wondered how you managed that Ianto mate." Rhys said looking at Ianto expectantly. Ianto glanced at Jack who raised an eyebrow. "Your report on that incident was a little vague Ianto."

Ianto smiled and looked between Jack and Banana before glancing at Rhys and sighing. "Well first I wrote them a very polite letter which said that Mr Davies had very sensitive Official secrets tattooed in microdot form on a rather delicate part of his anatomy." Jack snorted into his beer.

"They didn't fall for that did they?" Rhys asked incredulously.

Ianto shook his head ruefully and Gwen gaped at him. "No, because of certain undiplomatic actions on Mr Davies part the Lanzarote police were more inclined to send us back the offending piece of anatomy by express delivery."

Banana blanched at that and Dav laughed uproariously. "Oh, Mate!" He slapped Banana on the back and put his head down on the table. "So what did you do?" Rhys asked completely caught up in Ianto's story.

"Well, I just told them he was dangerously radioactive and they were more than happy to ship him off on a plane back to Cardiff international." Ianto grinned and drained his beer glass.

"So that's why they were all treating me like a leper."

"Naw mate that was because you smell."

"It was probably due more to your _unique_ personality."

Rhys and Dav cracked up at that and Rhys slapped Ianto on the back in a friendly way. Dav offered him a high five which Ianto responded to before shooting Jack a bemused smile. Jack just shrugged and smiled fondly at him.

Rhys and Jack went to the bar to get some drinks before the second start began and Dav was teasing Banana mercilessly. Gwen scooted over to sit beside Ianto and he looked over at her expectantly, she gave him a tentative smile. "Just ask me Gwen."

"Ask you what?"

"Whatever personal question you desperately want to ask. You can either ask me straight out now or you can hedge around the question for the next ten minutes and embarrass me until I won't be able to answer it."

Gwen smiled at him a little ruefully. "Alright then since you insist Mr Jones. I was just a little curious, we don't see this side of you often- I guess I never really took you for one of the lads."

Ianto raised an eyebrow at that. "So what you thought because Jack and I _dabble_ that I'm only into musical theatre and I'm incapable of having male friends." He gave a quiet laugh. "Gwen before I came to Cardiff, when I lived in London, I was very much one of the lads." Gwen watched him silently, not daring to interrupt, Ianto talked so little about his life before Torchwood Cardiff that she didn't want to stop him. "This kind of thing was a weekly occurrence. Lisa and I spent every Sunday in the bar with our mates. A bit of normality o counterbalance the insanity of catching aliens for a living,"

"So what about your friends in London, do you still keep in touch." Ianto's gaze was far away as he distantly stared at the widescreen. When he turned his gaze back to Gwen his eyes were sad. "They're dead."

"Oh Ianto, I'm sorry." He gave her a small, sad smile. "That's why I haven't had much of a social life up here." Ianto shrugged. "Preserving their memory I guess. That and Torchwood Cardiff is a little more flexible in its working hours. Torchwood London was 9-5, 5 days a week, bank holidays and weekends off."

"Wow. I didn't even know Torchwood had a definition of working hours." They both laughed and Gwen felt some of the tension ease between them. "Well Ianto maybe it's time to get some new mates."

"What like those two geniuses?" he quirked an elegant eyebrow in the direction of where Dav and Banana were trying to throw peanuts in each others mouths.

Gwen laughed. "Well, maybe someone a little bit more…cognitive."

Ianto nodded in agreement and looked up as Jack and Rhys arrived back with the drinks. Gwen scooted back into her seat and took the beer from Rhys with a kiss. Then they turned back to watch the match in companionable silence broken only by shouts from Banana or Dav about the referee or cheering from Rhys or Ianto, who was louder than Gwen could ever remember him being. Jack occasionally chimed in with comments on the player's asses or the length of their shorts.

40 minutes later when the final whistle blew the pub exploded Gwen was screaming louder than any of the boys and she grabbed Rhys and pulled him into a searing kiss which he reciprocated enthusiastically. When they broke apart she saw Dav and Banana hugging fiercely and jumping up and down and yelling incoherently. Ianto was flushed and breathless and Jack was standing very close to him whispering in his ear.

Once they had calmed a bit Ianto made his way over to Gwen and managed to convey that they were leaving through a series of facial expressions and hand movements. Then he leant in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Do you and Rhys want to go on a double date sometime? Might help with the making friends bit." He shouted into her ear. Gwen nodded emphatically and he beamed at her then went to shake hands with the lads.

Jack came over and beamed at her she could see a particular glint in his eye that usually meant he was about to get sex, had just had sex or was in the middle of having sex. He leaned in to hug her goodbye and into her ear said; "God Gwen, I love this country and their obsession with rugby. Gwen, Ianto_ really_ likes rugby." When he pulled back he actually looked like his face was about to split in two.

Gwen laughed at him and then laughed harder as Ianto came over and grabbed Jack's sleeve practically yanking him over to the door. "Don't come in until the afternoon tomorrow Gwen, Ianto and I will hold the fort." Jack yelled as he was unceremoniously wrenched out the door.

Later that evening when Gwen and Rhys had stumbled home after a day of exuberant celebrations and they had collapsed on top of each other on the sofa, she remembered her promise to Ianto. "Rhys how would you like to go on a double date with Jack and Ianto?"

Rhys squinted up at her and nodded languidly; "Yea why not love. Jack's alright and Ianto's a good bloke- he played rugby at University you know? Said he'd play for us some Saturday if we needed him. Might take him up on it, he's a strong young lad. Probably fast too with all that runnin' after aliens you lot do and-" Gwen cut off his drunken ramblings with a sudden kiss.

"Bed."

Rhys grinned. God he _loved_ rugby.

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Please Review.

Cheersies :D


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